About Us
Aims
The Trust’s aim is ‘advancing by investigation, research or otherwise in any way knowledge with regards to the causes of cancer and if possible of curing or alleviating cancer into the understanding of all aspects of cancer care and cure’. This wide remit has enabled the Trust to pursue various approaches in meeting its charitable objectives in the past.
Currently, the Trust has identified that effective investment in research institutions in the South East of Scotland is best delivered through PhD studentships and undergraduate vacation research scholarships. The Trust is open to effective collaboration with individuals or other charitable organisations to support research for all forms of cancer.
History
The Trust was established in 1922 by George Fisher Melville, an advocate who lived at 12 Moray Place, Edinburgh. The Trust was managed initially by the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, the Deputy Keeper of the Signet and by a representative of the Merchant Company.
The original Act provided power to the Trustees to appoint an additional six trustees but in 1952 an amendment enabled the University of Edinburgh, The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh to nominate one person to be appointed as trustees, all of whom are appointed for a 5 year period of renewable office.
Trustees
O James Garden
Roddy Dunlop
Roddy Dunlop has a wide and varied caseload which has given him a great deal of experience in court, appearing at every level within the Scottish civil court system.
Mandy Laurie
Marie Fallon
Larry Hayward
Don Young
Scientific Advisory Committee
Representatives of the University of Edinburgh
Dr Stefan Symeonides
Dr Symeonides is a Medical Oncologist and Clinical Senior Lecturer in Experimental Cancer Medicine at the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh and the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh.
Dr Simon Wilkinson
Representatives of the Royal College of Physicians
Professor William A H Wallace
Professor Wallace is Chair of the SAC. He is a consultant pathologist at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and an Honorary Professor in Pathology at the University of Edinburgh.
Dr Caroline Michie
Dr Michie is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh and an NRS research fellow (2018-2021 cohort).
Representatives of the Royal College of Surgeons
Dr Farhat V N Din
Dr Farhat Din is a Cancer Research UK Clinician Scientist and Honorary Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at the Colorectal Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh.
Dr Richard Skipworth
Dr Skipworth is a Consultant General and Upper GI Surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, and an NHS Research Scotland (NRS) Clinician.
Professor Stephen J Wigmore
Charity Administrator Details
Malcolm Rust
Malcolm is Head of the Charities team and is an Accredited Specialist in Charity Law through the Law Society of Scotland (re-accredited in 2017).
Tom Hamilton
Tom is a fully accredited Trust and Estate Practitioner, and Chartered Banker. Tom is involved in the establishment, administration, management, statutory reporting, restructuring, and dissolution of charities in both Scotland and England.
Lorna Brown
Lorna advises charities, private individuals, public sector and commercial organisations on charity law.